The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1887-03-02


If while things were comparatively smootl
be was disquieted, what will he do in tn
agonies Of dissolution2 II, in the land o
peace in which he trusted they wearied him
what viii he do amid Athe swelling o
Jordan"
Oh, ] rejoice TO know that so many o
God s children have gone through that pas
without a shudder Some one said to a OWN,
Christian: "Isn't it hard for you to get on
of this worldl7 "Oh. MOI he says, cit i
easy dying it is blessed dying, it is gloriou
dying" and then he pointed 10 clock on th
wall and he said: "The last two hours il
which have been dying, l have had NOR
joy than all the years Of my life A genera
came into the hospital after the battle ant
there were many seriously wounded, anc
there was one man dying, and the genera
said: "Ah, my dear fellow, you seem ver1
much wounded | am afraid you are no
going 20 get well. "No.n said tn
soldier, II am not going TO get well, bu
| feel very happy" On, | have seen them
and so have you, 20 out of this life without
tear on their cheek! There was weeping al
round the room, but no weeping in the bed
the cheeks were dry. They were not throw
down into darkness, they were lifted up W,
saw the tides rising around them, and tbs
swelling of the wave. 1t washed them of
from the cares and tolls of life; it washet
them on toward the beach of heaven. TheI
waved TO us farewell kiss as they stood OF
deck, and hoated down further and further
waited by gales from heaven, until they
were lost to our sight-mortality having be
come immortality
LIES duty done, as sinks the clay,
Light from its load the spirit flies;
,, fr,co
How blest the righteous when he dies!
What high consolation to you that you
departed friends were not submerged in thu
swelling of Jordanl The Israelites were JUS
as thoroughly alive on the western banks O
the Jordan, as they had been on the eastern
banks of the Jordan; and our departed Chris
tian friends have only crossed over-not sick
not dead, not exhausted, not extinguished
not blotted out, but with healthier respira
ton and stouter pulses, and keener eyesight
and better prospects, crossed over, their sins
their physical and mental disquiet, all lef
clear this side, and eternally flowing, impas
sable obstacle between them and all human
and satanic pursuit. Crossed overt Oh,
shake hands of congratulation with all tn
bereaved in the consideration that our de
parted Christian friends are safel
Why was there years ago so much joy il
certain circles in New York when peopl
heard from their friends who were ON boarC
the City Of Brussels? It was thought tina
vessel had gone to the bottom of the sea; anC
when the friends on this side heard that tn
steamer had arrived safely in Liverpool, haC
we not the right to congratulate the people il
New York that their friends had got safely
acrossl And is it not right this morning thai
/ congratulate you that your departed friend
are safe on the shores of heaven! Would yol
have them back again? Wouh you hav,
those old parents back again. You know
how hard it was sometimes for them to gel
their breath in the stifled atmosphere of tht
summer. Would you have them back in thi'
summer? Didn't they use their brain long
enoughs Would you have your children
back again? Would you have them take the
risk of temptations which throng every
human pathway Would you have them
cross the Jordan three times in addition to
crossing it already, and cross it again to greet
you now, and then cross back afterwardl
For certainly you would not want to keep
them forever out of heaven. If they had
lived forty or fifty years longer would they
have been safef Perhaps SO, perhaps not
Pause and weep, not for the freed from pain.
But that the sigh Of love would pull them back
again.
/ ask question, and there seems to come
back the answer in heavenly echo: What!
will you never be sick agains" ''Never-sick
-againT WHAT viii you never be tired
again" "Never-tired-again ''Whatl
will you never weep againf' "Never-weep
again" "Whati viii you never die againr'
''Never-die-again." Oh, We army of de-
parted kindred, we hail you from bank to
bank Wait for us when the Jordan of death
shall part for us. Come down and meet us
half way between the widowed banks of earth
and the palm groves of heaven.
On Jordan's stormy banks stand,
And cast wistful eye
To Canaan's fair and happy land,
Where my possessions lie.
o, the transporting, rapturous scene
That rises on my sight,
Sweet fields arrayed in living green,
And rivers of delight.
But there is one step still in advance sug-
gested by this subject If this religion of
Christ is so important in life, and so import
ant in the last hours of life. how much more
important it will be in the great eternity !
need not stand here and argue it. There
Is something within your soul that says now,
while | speak: II am immortal; the stars
shall die, but am immortal" You feel that
your existence on earth is only small piece
of your being. 1t is only mile up to the
grave, but it is ten thousand miles beyond.
The slab of the tomb is only the milestone on
which we read of infinite distance yet to be
Travelled. The world itself will grow old and
die. The stars of our night win burn down
in their sockets and expire. The sun, like a
spark struck from an anvil, will flash and go
out. The winds will utter their last whisper,
1--&
will live foreveri Gigantic-immortal
Mighty to suffer or enjoy. Mighty to love or
hate. Mighty to soar or to sink Then, what
will be to us the store, the shop, the Office the
applause of the wo Id, the scorn of our enc
mics, the things that lifted us up, and the
things that pressed us downa What to John
Wesley are all the rAobs that howled after
him! What to Voltaire are all the ma
tons that applauded hima What to Paul
now, the dungeons that chilled him? What to
Latimer now, the flames that consumed himi
All those who through the grace of Christ
reach that land, will never be disturbed
None to dispute their throne, they shall reign
for ever and ever. But, alas, for those who
have made no preparation for the futurei
When the sharp shod hoofs of eternal disaster
come up painting and swift to go over them,
how will they contend with horses2 And
when the waves of their wretchedness rise
up, white and foamy, under the swooping of
eternal storms, and the pillows become more
wrathful and dash more high, oh, what will
they do amid the swelling of JordanF'
II could come into your heart this mo-
ment, would see that many of you, my dear
friends, had vowed to be the Lords. / know
not what sickness it was or what trial; but
verify believe there is not a man in the
house but has some time vowed he would be
the Lords 1t might have been at the time
when your child lay sick, you said: 10 Lord.
II thou wilt let this child get well / will be
Christian Or it might have been in some
business trouble, when you have said: 20
Lord, if thou wilt let me keep my property,
will be Christian" You kept your prop
erty, Your child got well, the peril passed.
Are you Christiana History says that
long ago it had been announced that the
world was coming to an end. and there was
great excitement in London. 1t was said that
the world would perish on certain Friday. On
tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday
The people were in the cathedral, praying and
weeping. It seemed as if the whole English
nation was being converted to God, for it was
announced as certain by philosophers that ON
That coming Friday the world would perish.
NAtsAAt N-iAAtc a43d tztcft Wcre no DOTIeHfSx
ires in the air, no earthquakes The day
passed along just like every other day, and
when 1t was passed and the night came, it is
aid that in London there was a scene
II riot, and wassail, and drunken
'ess, and debauchery such as had
never been witnessed They forgot their
row, they forgot their repentance, they for
,ot their good resolutions o how much
human nature in that. While trials and mis-
'ortunes come 10 us, and we are down deem
n darkness and trouble we make vows We
ay: 20 Lord, do so. and will do SOL The
darkness passes. the peril goes away. We
re as we were before, or worse; for Oh, how
'ften have seen men start for the king
Iom Of God, come up within arms
each OF it, and then 60 back farther
rom God than they ever were before.
lropping from the very moment Of
heir privilege into darkness foreveri. Oh